Kopi vs Teh, which is better?

Some love kopi (coffee), some love teh (tea),and some kiasus in-betweens can’t make up their mind (that’s me). The Kopi gang and Teh gang face off in this epic battle of coffee vs tea, which is better?

*squirrel commentator* it was a tough fight between Kopi and Teh, both are badly wounded, and as they face off in the final battle… ooh kopi is down, 3, 2, 1 aand… no, Kopi is back up and lashes out a last punch! *DING DING* KOPI WINS!

Picture credits: http://1yearofsingle.tumblr.com/page/111

Don’t get me wrong, both drinks are great, and research did not show that one is better than the other, but here is why I decided that Kopi is the overall winner.

Kopi and Teh are high in antioxidants, but Kopi has more

Picture credits: http://foodlover.sg/2012/09/

Filtered black coffee has almost twice the amount of antioxidants than green or black tea. This means that it is able to fight cell damage and protect DNA damage better than tea. These antioxidants improve health and help reduce the risk of several diseases.

But remember, it’s not the same antioxidants as the ones in fruits and vegetables so you got to eat your greens! Have some bearylicious with your favourite morning (or afternoon) cuppa!

There’s too many studies and research on this to list them all! But to name a few, moderate coffee and tea intake (1 – 2 cups), both help to reduce your risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and esophageal (throat) cancer.

Kopi may help you concentrate better

Picture credits: http://coffeestudyrepeat.tumblr.com/

We all know that coffee helps us through times of the dreaded midnight oil. Coffee contains a slightly higher amount of caffeine than tea and a study has found that coffee helps to increase alertness and helped to improve the performance of simple tasks.

Some studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee may help to improve an athlete’s performance in endurance events, but no concrete evidence have shown that it helps strength exercises like powerlifting.

But Teh wins the battle sometimes…

A study has found that drinking 2 – 3 cups of coffee daily increases the risk of lung cancer while drinking more than 2 cups of black tea did not increase this risk. Interestingly, people who drank 2 or more cups of decaffeinated coffee had a lower risk of lung cancer!

How should I drink my Teh or Kopi?

It’s actually not about which of the two is better, but more about what you add into your drink. If you can, drink them neat or a small teaspoon of sugar if you must. Keep your Kopi or Teh intake at 2 cups daily, or up to 3 or 4 cups of tea a day.